


Twinkling Lights

by SM (abcdefuk_off)



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Jalec Secret Santa 2019, M/M, Parabatai, Protective boys, im not going to lie, jalec - Freeform, pretty heavy on the comfort, some pretty cute shit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-24
Updated: 2019-12-24
Packaged: 2021-02-24 15:34:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21940258
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/abcdefuk_off/pseuds/SM
Summary: The love shared by Alec and Jace has always been one that healed rather than destroyed, a reality they are reminded of one hectic Christmas season.
Relationships: Alec Lightwood/Jace Wayland
Comments: 4
Kudos: 61
Collections: Jalec Secret Santa 2019





	Twinkling Lights

Note: A one-shot written for Takara Phoenix for your secret santa. Merry Christmas! I hope you like it! :)

* * *

Alec felt it instantly. 

A sudden stinging sensation slashed sharply through his torso. 

He frowned, hissing in pain as his hand immediately tracked to his abdomen, where he pressed against the skin in an attempt to stem the ghost of agony radiating through him. It took him less than a second to figure out where the discomfort was originating from. 

_Jace_. 

The thought has Alec shoving away from his desk and sprinting from his office. Jace wasn’t supposed to be out on any missions – he had the evening free and had said he was going to run a few errands to distract himself until Alec was finished going through the paperwork and the two could spend some time together on Christmas Eve. It wasn’t really a big deal for shadowhunters, but the boys always looked for just about any excuse to step back and take a moment just to be with each other. 

Jace was simply supposed to be going into the city for a couple hours, he was supposed to be _safe_. 

Alec grit his teeth as a burst of speed sent him racing through the institute, ignoring the questions that were tossed in his direction from those he ran by. He only had one thing on his mind, one person; the one he was meant to protect, the boy he knew had been hurt – because he could fucking _feel_ it -- his parabatai, his best friend, his boyfriend. 

Jace.

\---------------------------------------

Jace was fighting to stay awake, truly he was, but he was just so damn tired. 

Izzy had kept him talking at first, he couldn’t recall for the life of him what he had rambled about, but he had answered every question she asked and struggled to stay alert like she begged him to, but that was forever ago – or so it felt. The blonde shadowhunter bit back a moan as his legs nearly gave out and he was just barely kept from kissing the floor by the hold Izzy had on him. 

“C’mon, Jace, we’re almost there. We’re really close, just keep moving.” She begged. 

“M’trying.” Jace slurred as he forced his legs to hold more of his weight, though he knew without his surrogate sister’s hold, he would have collapsed quite some time ago. 

His body shuttered as agony ripped through it and he lurched into Izzy as he fought to stay on his feet. Jace felt a familiar thrum from the rune etched above his hip and knew that his parabatai was reaching through their bond. 

“Alec.” He sighed, wishing he had the energy to reach back, but knowing it was a fucking miracle he was even still conscious at this point. 

“Yeah, we’re going to see Alec. And you’ve got to stay awake for him, okay? You’ve got to stay awake for Alec. He’s already going to kill me for getting you hurt, don’t go passing out on me.” Izzy instructed, the words wafting over Jace as he tried to piece enough of them together to make some sense of it all. “Just stay with me, Jace.” She pleaded softly. 

Short and sweet, Jace could handle that, he could understand it – even if he wasn’t sure he had the strength to accomplish it, but he would try his damnedest. 

For Izzy. 

And for Alec, always for Alec.

\---------------------------------------

Alec was about to track his boyfriend’s whereabouts, when suddenly the man he was desperate to get to, was standing before him. 

Well, ‘standing’ was a bit generous, but nonetheless, he was there.

Jace looked like hell. He was covered in blood, his entire body shaking where he was curled into Izzy. He was practically draped over the slighter frame, a pool of blood forming beneath his feet. 

“Jace.” Alec gasped, his heart thundering in his chest as panic threatened to suffocate him. 

The blonde head bobbed a moment before raising just enough for Alec to spot the too-pale complexion. The younger lad had the audacity to twitch a smile at his boyfriend, before he began to crumble to the ground. 

Jace had been so glad he made it back, so relieved that he had returned to Alec like he always promised he would, that the moment he saw that perfectly sculpted face, every drop of adrenaline poured out of him and he collapsed. Jace closed his eyes and braced himself for impact, but instead of hard unforgiving ground – he collided with a broad chest. Long arms wrapped around him, and even the pain pulsing through his entire being didn’t stop Jace from releasing a content sigh as he curled into the strong frame that was holding him tight – he was _home_. 

Alec had moved so quickly to grab Jace before he hit the floor, dropping to his knees to contain his fall, but now that he had the trembling boy in his arms, he found himself unable to move. Fear had frozen him in place as he gripped tight to his wounded parabatai.

He was so sick of this. So sick of his best friend collapsing in his arms. So fucking sick of picking up the pieces of his boyfriend because Alec had failed to keep him safe yet again. He couldn’t keep doing this. 

He gripped tighter to the slimmer frame, his heart aching as Jace curled into him in response. The younger man tucking his head beneath Alec’s chin and clawing at his shirt with shaking bloody fingers.

“Alec, we need to get him help.”

The Lightwood boy looked up at his sister who still had a partial grip of Jace and was hovering over the two boys, her eyes shining with unshed tears as her face was scrunched in concern. It took a moment for the words she had spoken to process, but soon he was nodding his head. He had his stele in his pocket but knew he had to get to the medical wing because he didn’t imagine one rune was going to be enough, or if Jace was even strong enough to heal that way. 

Izzy shifted closer, looking like she was working to take more weight, but Alec curled himself possessively over the injured man in his arms. 

“Alec—

“I’ve got him.” He asserted. 

“Let me—

“No! I’ve got him.” He nearly growled, his protective instincts slamming into overdrive as he felt Jace nuzzle into him, his quick short breaths ghosting over Alec’s neck. 

Izzy stepped back, hands up in surrender – she had often witnessed her older brother’s fierce protective nature, but she had never been on the dangerous side of it. 

Jace could sense the tension, though he couldn’t make out what was going on, he simply knew his boyfriend was in distress and wanted to help – though his physical state truly restricted what method of assistance he was able to offer. He released his hold on Alec’s shirt and moved his hand clumsily across the broad chest, splaying his palm reassuringly over the galloping heart. 

He felt the strong arms tighten around him as a chaste kiss was pressed against his forehead. 

“Hold on, babe. I’ve got you.” Alec whispered, his voice rough as he gained a better grip on the trembling body in his arms. He had an arm beneath Jace’s knees and one wrapped around his back, gathering the boy in his arms as he climbed to his feet. He refused help from all of those who had gathered around him, clutching Jace protectively to his chest as he made his way through the institute. 

Jace didn’t know anything beyond the fact that he was in the arms of the person he loved most in the world – and the one who loved him the most. He hissed softly as he was jostled, curling closer into Alec as though he could hide himself inside the older boy and escape the agony in his body and the cruelty of the universe. 

“Just hold on, Jace. Hold on.”

The plea was whispered as Alec’s forehead came down to meet his own. Jace replied with a weary nod, feeling himself fading, but struggling to stay conscious for his parabatai. He had died once and knew that the pain of him leaving – of part of his soul being torn away - still haunted Alec, he wouldn’t do that to him again. He refused. 

“Won’t leave you.” He slurred, weakly bunching Alec’s shirt in his fingers as he fought to keep his eyes open. 

The bright gaze stared down at him, shinning in concern as the dark-haired man nodded his head and began to walk faster. The rapid movement made Jace dizzy and he allowed his eyelids to fall closed as he rested against the broad chest, rousing when he was set down onto an uncomfortable surface and that supportive hold disappeared. 

“Alec.” He called out, unable to focus his gaze as he looked around. 

The injured shadowhunter was startled by unfamiliar hands that were gripping and maneuvering his limbs and quickly began to fight against them. 

“Alec.” He cried, frustrated by the lack of strength in his voice. 

Just as suddenly as Alec’s touch had vanished, it reappeared, firm and familiar and instantly soothing. 

“I’m right here, Jace. I’m right here. Stop fighting and let them help you.” 

The blonde boy nodded, holding tight to his boyfriend’s hand as he stopped battling, reluctantly submitting himself to all the poking and the prodding. He tensed as those long fingers tried to pull away from his and immediately tightened his grip. 

“Stay.” He pleaded softly, trying to find that perfect face among all the blurry figures standing over him. 

“I’m not going anywhere.” 

The promise eased Jace’s fears, allowing him to relax for a moment, until suddenly agony seared through his body, racing up each limb and causing him to cry out before the world went blessedly dark. 

\---------------------------------------

“I’m sorry, Alec. It was my fault.” 

The elder Lightwood grunted in response to his sister’s apology, because she wasn’t entirely wrong, but she wasn’t right either. 

She shouldn’t have been at that club on her own without even bothering to take her fucking stele along with her, that was a dumbass move and she should have known better, but it wasn’t her fault that she was targeted by some vengeful demons and it wasn’t her fault that Jace stepped in and got injured protecting her. She couldn’t have stopped the protective moron from getting in the middle of things even if she wanted to and couldn’t help that they were outnumbered – and it was just really bad fucking luck that Jace’s stele had been broken upon impact when he’d been chucked into a brick wall.

Izzy had done everything she could to get the injured shadowhunter back to safety and Alec knew that she had done her best to protect Jace before and after he had his abdomen sliced open.

So he really couldn’t blame her. 

But he was still pissed that the man he loved was laying injured in the infirmary. 

“What was he even doing out there?” Alec questioned, his worried gaze focussed on the pale boy laying unconscious on the cot. Jace was no longer losing blood, but the wound was still distressingly deep and it would take days before the younger man was strong enough to heal properly and even longer before he would be able to regenerate the blood he had lost. Muscles had been sliced and organs had been nicked and that kind of shit didn’t heal over night no matter what runes were used. Alec had been told that if Jace had arrived just moments later than he did, he likely wouldn’t have made it at all. 

The crude laceration was enough to make Alec’s stomach turn, but the realization that Jace had almost been ripped away from him once again, made it nearly impossible to fucking breathe. 

“He said he was running errands, that he had to pick up a few things, he shouldn’t have been out on the edge of the city.” Alec muttered, distractedly rubbing his thumb over the hand he was still holding tight in his grip, as he stared down at the violent, jagged injury marring Jace’s abdomen – itching to pull the stele back out of his pocket but knowing it was too soon and his parabatai was too weak for that method of healing to be of any assistance. 

“He was getting a Christmas tree.” 

Alec’s head snapped up at the comment, his eyes tearing away from Jace for the first time since he had found him draped over Izzy, dripping blood all over the floor. 

“What?” He queried, squinting across the space at his sister. 

A sad smile pulled at her lips as she gave a little shrug. “I was trying to keep him awake on our way home, so I was asking him questions to keep him talking. When I asked what he was doing over there he said he was going to the Christmas tree farm to get you a tree.” 

“Me?” Alec croaked. Shadowhunters usually congregated on Christmas and had a big meal, but as far as traditions went that was really the most of it. They never bothered with the decorations or the trees or the gifts or any of that extra stuff the mundanes all did. 

Izzy nodded. “I asked him why, he was having a hard time speaking clearly.” She paused, clearing her throat as her dark gaze shifted worriedly to Jace before returning to the man standing at his bedside. “But he said something about how you like looking at the light of the city from the roof, and he just thought if he put the tree up in your room with some light on it, that you would like that – and it’d keep you from freezing your ass off every night.” 

Alec worked to swallow the ball of emotions that appeared in his throat, sniffing as he looked back down at the beautiful boy on the bed, reaching up to gently slide some of that unruly blonde hair off the pale face. 

“I’m pretty sure it was supposed to be a surprise.” Izzy added quietly.

Alec nodded, because he was certain of that – he had known Jace was up to something since that morning when he spotted that mischievous little twinkle in those bicoloured eyes. 

“Only Jace could manage to find trouble on the way to get a fucking Christmas tree.” Alec huffed, glancing back up at his sister, the two Lightwood siblings sharing an equally fond and exasperated smirk before both returning their attention to the cause for their concern. 

“Do you want me to go grab some stuff for you? Or I can watch him while you go get what you need?” Izzy offered. 

Alec wasn’t the least bit surprised that his sister assumed he would be spending the night by his boyfriend’s side, and of course he would, but not in the infirmary. 

“No, it’s okay. They said he only has to be here a few more hours until I can move him. He’ll be stuck in bed for a few days, but everyone agreed he would rest and heal better somewhere more comfortable where he isn’t taking a swing at everyone who gets near him.” Alec commented, placing his hand gently on the side of Jace’s neck as the younger man began to shift restlessly on the bed, the contact quickly settling the young warrior. 

Alec’s heart fluttered, love oozing through it as his boyfriend instinctively leaned into his touch. 

“Is there anything I can do?” Izzy offered softly from the other side.

Alec was about to tell her there wasn’t, when an idea came to his mind. 

“Actually, there is something.” He said, a ghost of a smile on his face as he turned to face his sister. 

\---------------------------------------

Jace couldn’t seem to keep track of anything that was going on. 

He knew he had made it home – he had made it back to Alec alive, but everything after that was all quite blurry. 

He recalled collapsing into his boyfriend’s arms, he could even remember the feeling of relief that had washed over him as those long limbs had locked around him. He knew his parabatai had been carrying him, and could remember promising not to leave him, just as he could recall Alec making the same vow just moments later when Jace had been bombarded by invasive and unfamiliar contact. After that there were snippets of agony and constant discomfort – made tolerable only by the large hand holding tight to his own smaller one. 

And then he was being carried again. 

He immediately recognised the heartbeat that matched his own thumbing against his ear and knew it was his parabatai that was carrying him yet again, the simple realization was all he needed to surrender back into the exhaustion that seemed to have a persistent hold over him. 

The next time he woke he was laying on a soft surface, his head on a pillow that smelled wonderfully of his boyfriend. The pain was still there, but it was little more than a muted throb, and it didn’t keep him from falling back to sleep. 

He awoke in the same spot some time later, but this time as he surfaced into consciousness, he tensed at the sound of voices and movement in the room. He was fighting to force his eyelids out of the way, when a warm body leaned into him and a deep familiar voice promised him he was safe and told him to get some rest – an instruction his weary body was more than happy to follow. 

Jace came out of sleep once more, but had no need to tense or open his eyes, because he knew for certain he was safe. He was laying in a soft bed he recognized by both the feel and the smell, and his boyfriend was wrapped around him - which was all Jace had ever needed to feel safe. For Jace, Alec had always been home and safe and _love_ , and Jace didn’t have to think twice about submitting to the exhaustion that was pulling at him. 

\---------------------------------------

Alec sat in bed, reading over mission reports, a pen behind his ear as he chewed on his bottom lip – but all his focus shifted off his work the moment he felt Jace stir at his side. He had a hand resting gently against Jace’s ribcage, to both monitor the younger man and remind Alec that his boyfriend was still very much alive – because his dreams last night had tried repeatedly to convince him that was not that case. He felt the moment Jace’s breathing altered and his heartbeat picked up just a little. 

He tossed the papers onto the bedside table and shifted all his focus to the beautiful blonde boy lying next to him. 

He shifted closer, leaning over Jace, and watching with a fond smile on his face as the fearless warrior yawned and knuckled his eyes, looking too damn cute with his hair all askew. 

Jace tried his best to blink the world back into focus, smiling at the perfectly sculpted face that hovered over him. 

“Alec.” He sighed, nearly giddy with relief at the sight of his soulmate looking down on him with such honest love. Jace reached up, eager to be closer to the man he adored, sliding his hand behind the long neck and pulling Alec down towards him. 

The older man saw the kiss coming and happily met those plump red lips with his own thinner pink ones. The kiss was full of relief and tinged with desperation. It quickly began to deepen into something far more raw that hummed with need – as if the simple contact was enough to soothe the terror that still lingered in the two souls shared by the pair of parabatai. 

Jace ran out of breath all too soon, and was forced to pull away – his body still in recovery and its weakened state only allowing for short and shallow inhalations. 

Alec moved his lips from Jace’s lips to his cheek and then to his neck. The younger man slid his fingers up into that thick black hair and moaned softly as a kiss was placed into the hollow of his throat, his fingers and toes tingling with the desire to be that much nearer to the man he loved more than life. He hummed a content sound as Alec’s lips trailed down his chest, but went quiet when he felt a drop of liquid hit his skin, followed quickly by a second one. 

Jace’s face scrunched in concern as he looked down at his boyfriend, who still had his face against the bottom half of the smaller man’s chest – directly above the long laceration across his abdomen. Jace moved his hand from the back of Alec’s head to the side of his face, tracing that prominent jawline before cupping his cheek and directing his face up. His heart clenched at the sight of tears trailing down the ivory skin, and he swiftly wiped them away. 

“Babe.” He rasped, his voice hoarse with emotion as he was met with both the fierceness of Alec’s love but also the dark shadow of his hear. 

Alec responded with a helpless shake of his head, turning his head to press a kiss into Jace’s palm, another tear slipping free and sliding down his face. 

“I almost lost you.” Alec whispered, looking up at Jace – his bright eyes shining with both terror and relief. 

“I know, baby. I’m sorry.” Jace choked out, his chest tight from sheer force of the grief he could feel flowing through the bond. “C’mere.” He prompted as he tugged at his boyfriend’s shirt. 

Alec moved back up towards Jace’s head, not surprised when two arms wrapped around him in a hug and pulled him close. He made sure to keep one arm on the mattress to support himself and prevent from placing pressure on the injured boy, but his other arm wrapped around the slimmer body and held it close. 

“I’m here, Alec. I’m here. And I’m not going anywhere.” Jace assured – his voice rough from nearly twenty-four hours of disuse as he spoke directly into Alec’s ear. The older man nodded his head where it was tucked down in between Jace’s neck and shoulder. 

The pair of parabatai took a moment to both receive and accept the comfort that their weary souls so desperately needed. 

Jace found his need to be close to his boyfriend had not yet been satisfied and he tried to pull Alec closer to him, only to have the Lightwood boy resist. 

“Whoah, Jay – you’ve got to be careful, babe. You’re still healing.” Alec chastised as he gently pulled away. 

Jace huffed an irritated sound, his bottom lip sticking out impossibly far as his expression adopted a dramatic pout. Alec couldn’t help but chuckle in response, the sound making Jace twitch a smile up at the gorgeous man. 

“Do you want to sit up?” Alec asked. 

Jace nodded, he still felt exhausted down to his very bones – a way he knew he would be feeling for a while, but he also felt like he had been resting for way too long and he wanted to be reintroduced to the world – or at least to the bedroom. 

Alec’s grip was firm but he was impossibly gentle as he helped pull the smaller frame up, leaning it against his own for a moment as he situated the pillows before leaning his boyfriend back against them. 

Jace bit back a gasp, trembling slightly as the movement sent pain shooting through his torso. He closed his eyes as he worked to regain control, gritting his teeth until the agony finally receded back into a dull ache. He opened his eyes after a moment, not surprised in the least to see Alec’s face hovering mere inches from his own, his expression lined with concern. 

“M’okay.” Jace assured, flashing a devious grin. 

Alec rolled his eyes, which was comforting in its own right, because there was nothing that looked more familiar on the eldest Lightwood child than exasperation. “You’re really not. But you will be.” He stated. 

Alec watched as his boyfriend’s smile morphed into something softer and more genuine, but the warm feelings he got from the gentle look did nothing to distract him from the shiver that ran through the slender frame. Alec pinched his lips as he reached across the bed and grabbed the sweatshirt he had discarded earlier, he coaxed Jace forward and slid the cotton fabric behind him, helping to thread his arms through the sleeves and zipping it up over the bare chest, careful not to let it come in contact with his slowly healing injury. 

“I could have done that.” Jace pointed out as he watched Alec secure the sweatshirt into place. The older boy raised his eyebrows at him in reply, before giving his head a rueful shake. 

“You good?” Alec asked, giving the smaller body a onceover. 

Jace twitched a smile, reaching out to grip the collar of Alec’s black long sleeve shirt and tug him closer to capture his lips. The kiss was sweet and tender, not nearly as desperate as before, but just as pure. 

“Now I am.” Jace declared with a smile once the two had parted. Alec smiled in return, reaching up to move the blonde hair from his boyfriend’s face before leaning forward to place a kiss on his forehead. He then moved back, shifting to sit next to Jace instead of kneeling in front of him like he had been. He couldn’t stop the grin that took over his features as he watched Jace’s gaze finally find the surprise that had been set up at the other end of the room. 

Jace couldn’t take his eyes off of the Christmas tree. 

It was lit with steady white lights as well as coloured ones that slowly faded on and off. There was red ribbon wrapped around it and different coloured glass balls hanging off of it. A glass star sat on top of it, glowing in a warm white light that cast a lovely shadow across the bedroom. 

“Alec.” Jace whispered as he stared at the captivating sight. 

“You like it?” The man at his side queried softly.

Jace turned, beaming at Alec, joy bubbling up inside him at the hopeful expression on his boyfriend’s face. “It’s perfect.” He replied. 

Alec grinned, unable to do anything else when being faced with Jace’s unbridled happiness. “Good.” He said with a nod. 

“How did you know?” Jace wondered allowed, his gaze shifting between the tree and Alec and back again. 

“Izzy told me.” 

Jace squinted for a moment, not recalling having mentioned the surprise to her. 

“She – uh, she asked you about it to keep you awake.” Alec supplied somberly. 

Jace nodded, snippets of the journey home coming back to him, but he refused to dwell on the memory, not wanting it to taint the joy of the moment. 

“How’d you get it?” He asked. 

Alec didn’t miss the blatant redirection, but allowed it to happen nonetheless. “I sent Izzy out to get it.” 

Jace raised his eyebrows. “She running errands for you now?” 

“No.” Alec smirked. “But she wanted to do something for you – she owes you that much.” 

“I hope you didn’t play on her guilt.” 

“Not too much.” 

Jace snickered as he returned his attention to the Christmas tree, but was distracted by a twinge of something he had heard in his parabatai’s voice.

“It’s not her fault.” Jace declared. 

Alec nodded. “I know.” 

Jace frowned, because something still wasn’t right. “And it’s not your fault.” He added, assuming that fact was evident but feeling he needed to specify it. 

The pinch of Alec’s lips and the way his jaw visibly clenched was all the response Jace needed to know exactly what was going on. He shifted a little to try and face his boyfriend more directly. 

“Hey! Be careful!” Alec commanded, face pinched in concern as his hand hovered over the smaller boy. 

Jace disregarded the comment, refusing to be distracted from the mission he was currently on. “You know that it isn’t your fault. Right?” 

Alec frowned, leaning back and visibly pulling into himself, this wasn’t a conversation he wanted to have. 

“Alec.” Jace said, the name sounding like a warning. 

The older man sighed, because he knew if he didn’t respond the younger lad was liable to physically demand his attention and likely only harm himself in the process. “I should have been there.” He whispered, the phrase sounding haunted even to his own ears. 

Jace shook his head vehemently from side to side. “You didn’t know anything was going to happen – hell, I didn’t know anything was going to happen.” 

Alec refused to accept such a weak excuse. He should have known. He should have been there. Jace was his to protect and he had let him down. Again. 

“I’m supposed to keep you safe.” He responded. 

“I wasn’t supposed to be at risk! I was out looking for a _Christmas tree_ , that’s like the most mundane thing on the planet. I shouldn’t have been in any danger.” 

“But you were!” 

“No, Izzy was.” 

Alec huffed at that argument, because it was true but frustrating as fuck. Jace shouldn’t have been in danger, but he had been and Alec hadn’t been there. 

“I’m supposed to keep you safe.” He rasped, all the fight bleeding from his body, even as the ache of guilt and grief remained.

Jace felt his own indignation fade as he reached over and traced the tips of his fingers along that perfectly structured jawline, while staring steadily into that soulful gaze. “You _did_ , babe. You saved me. I fought to get home to you. I _refused_ to leave you, just like a vowed to years ago.” 

Alec could do little more than nod as he leaned forward, pressing his forehead against Jace’s, just taking a moment to breathe his air and be near him, trying desperately to remind himself that everything was okay because his world was seated right there next to him, alive and safe. 

“You always save me.” Jace whispered, before angling his face to kiss his boyfriend, the contact soft and comforting in every way it was meant to be. 

“I always will.” Alec promised as they parted, looking confident and sure rather than guilt-ridden and gutted. 

Jace smiled, both because he knew that to be the truth, and he was relieved that he had managed to convince Alec that he had done nothing wrong, that he was not to blame.

Feeling completely content, Jace shifted back to face the tree and leaned closer to the man seated next to him.

Alec wrapped a long arm around Jace’s shoulders, tucking him against his side. The closeness satisfied Jace for a moment or two, but he quickly craved more. 

“Whoah, Jace. Take it easy! Be careful!” Alec ordered, startling as Jace began to move around, not slowing even as he hissed in pain. 

“Wanna be closer.” He muttered as he practically climbed onto his boyfriend. 

“You’re going to hurt yourself! You’re still healing, you need to be careful.” Alec stated, even as he guided his boyfriend to sit between his legs and pulled Jace’s back into his chest, supporting his posture so the wound across his stomach didn’t tear or pull. 

“You worry too much.” Jace mumbled as he shifted a little, before allowing his head to fall back against Alec’s collarbone – releasing a long sigh. 

“Yeah, I wonder why that is. It’s not like my boyfriend is a trouble magnet or anything.” Alec huffed as he wrapped his arms around the smaller frame nestled against him, careful to avoid the injury on his abdomen. 

Jace smiled and nuzzled impossibly closer as he intertwined his fingers with Alec’s, allowing the peace of the moment to roll over him as he was wrapped in his boyfriend and staring at the beauty of the tree. 

Alec felt like for the first time in twenty-four hours he could finally fucking _breathe_. Jace was warm and alive and **happy** in his arms, both their heartbeats matched at a steady pace as the parabatai bond thrummed contently in the nearness and serenity of the moment.

He glanced down to his right as he felt Jace’s head roll against his collarbone, the blonde hair tickly his neck. Jace was smiling over at him, the grin wasn’t cheeky or even amused like it often was, but it was soft and adoring. 

Alec raised his eyebrows in question, even though just the younger man’s expression had set butterflies loose in his stomach. 

“I was right.” Jace whispered softly into the dim, quiet room.

“About?” Alec prompted quietly. 

“You look gorgeous in Christmas tree light.” 

Alec would have laughed if the comment hadn’t been made so sweetly with such a gentle, genuine tone and accompanied by a soft kiss to the underside of his jaw. 

Jace returned his gaze to the tree, smiling as Alec’s arms tightened around him and he tucked himself more fully into the taller frame. 

“So do you, my beautiful boy.” 

Jace melted at the whispered comment and the gentle kiss against his temple that accompanied it. 

The pair of parabatai gazed at the tree as they basked in the glow of the twinkling lights, holding each other close – allowing the peace and joy of the moment to mend the tares that trauma had made in their connected souls. 

Just as the calm they had created eased them. 

Just as the happiness they made soothed them. 

The love they shared healed them. 

The way it had always had.

And it always would. 

Forever.

**Author's Note:**

> Is it any good? I wasn't as confident with this one as I usually am, but hopefully it's okay. Merry Christmas everyone! - Sam


End file.
